School honors memory of student

A balloon release was held in honor of Tanner Denton at Jefferson Elementary School. Denton was a student at Jefferson and passed away in December due to complications from kidney disease. Red was Denton's favorite color.

Jessica Pickens

By Jessica Pickens

Published: Friday, February 28, 2014 at 04:50 PM.

At the count of three, students released hundreds of red balloons.

Elementary school students shouted and pointed as the balloons disappeared into the sky and amongst the trees.

A balloon release was held at Jefferson Elementary School on Friday in honor of Tanner Denton, who recently died at age 10 from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare kidney disease that slowly scars the kidneys to the point they can no longer function.

All of the students and faculty wore red Friday, which was Tanner’s favorite color.

Before the balloons were released, Justin Harper, singer, songwriter and music teacher at Jefferson Elementary, led the school in the song "Life is Like a Ferris Wheel," a song Tanner wrote for a CD "Kid Needz." The CD helped raise money for his medical bills.

After the balloons disappeared, the students sang other songs such as Katy Perry's "Roar" and Pharrell's "Happy" for Tanner.

--Jessica Pickens

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Elementary school students shouted and pointed as the balloons disappeared into the sky and amongst the trees.

A balloon release was held at Jefferson Elementary School on Friday in honor of Tanner Denton, who recently died at age 10 from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare kidney disease that slowly scars the kidneys to the point they can no longer function.

All of the students and faculty wore red Friday, which was Tanner’s favorite color.

Before the balloons were released, Justin Harper, singer, songwriter and music teacher at Jefferson Elementary, led the school in the song "Life is Like a Ferris Wheel," a song Tanner wrote for a CD "Kid Needz." The CD helped raise money for his medical bills.

After the balloons disappeared, the students sang other songs such as Katy Perry's "Roar" and Pharrell's "Happy" for Tanner.